Party Affairs Abroad

Published:Iskra, No. 9, October 1901.

      Published according to theIskratext.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Foreign Languages Publishing House,1961,

      Moscow,Volume 5,

      pages241-242.Translated:Transcription\Markup:R. CymbalaandD. WaltersPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2003).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

Theforeign branch of theIskraorganisation has united with theSotsial-Demokratrevolutionary organisation abroad, and has formed
      with it a single organisation under the name of the League of Russian
      Revolutionary Social-Democracy

      Abroad.[1]As will be seen from its published declaration, the new organisation
      proposes to issue a number of propaganda and agitational pamphlets. The
      League is the representative ofIskraabroad. Thus, the
      organisation of revolutionary Social-Democrats abroad, led by the
      Emancipation of Labour group, has finally merged with the organisation
      grouped round our paper. As before, the Emancipation of Labour group will
      participate directly in editing and managing our publications.

Theunification of the Russian revolutionary Social- Democratic
      organisations abroad was accomplished after their attempt to combine with
      the Union of Russian Social-Democrats Abroad (which issuesRabocheye
      Dyelo) had failed. Early in summer, a conference of representatives
      of the three organisations drafted an agreement. The basis of the
      agreement was provided by a number of resolutions on matters of principle,
      according to which the Union Abroad would put an end to all flirting with
      Economism and Bernsteinism, and recognise the principles of revolutionary
      Social-Democracy. There was reason to hope that unity would be
      accomplished; for until then the only obstacle to arapprochementwas the vacillation of the Union Abroad and of its organ,Rabocheye
      Dyelo, with regard to questions of principle. These hopes were not
      justified, since the recently published No. 10 ofRabocheye Dyelocontained editorial articles openly directed against theresolutions that had been drawn up at the conference with the
      participation of the delegation of the Union Abroad. Apparently, the Union
      Abroad again swerved towards the Bight Wing of our movement. In fact, at
      the conference of the three organisations, the Union Abroad proposed
      “amendments” to the above-mentioned resolutions, which clearly
      showed that it was reverting to its previous deviations. The other
      organisations felt obliged to leave the conference, and in fact did
      so. Apparently, our comrades of the Union Abroad are not yet sufficiently
      aware of the danger of the intermediary position their organisation
      occupies between revolutionary socialism and the opportunism that plays
      into the hands of the liberals. We hope that time and bitter experience
      will convince them of the error of their tactics. The effort observed
      throughout the Party, not only to work for the expansion of our movement,
      but also to raise its qualitative level, is the best guarantee that the
      much- desired unification of all our forces will be accomplished under the
      banner of revolutionary Social-Democracy, which our paper serves.

[1]The League of Russian Revolutionary Social-Democracy Abroadwas
      founded on Lenin’s initiative in October 1901. TheIskra Zaryaorganisation abroad and theSotsial-Demokratorganisation (which
      included the Emancipation of Labour group) entered the League. The task of
      the League was to disseminate the ideas of rev olutionary Social-Democracy
      and promote the foundation of a mil itant Social-Democratic
      organisation. Actually, the League was the representative ofIskraabroad. It recruited supporters forIskrafrom
      among Social-Democrats living abroad, gave it materi al support, organised
      its delivery to Russia, and published popular Marxist literature. The
      League issued severalBulletinsand pamph lets. The Second
      Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. approved the League as the sole Party
      organisation abroad, accorded it the full rights of a committee working
      under the leadership and control of the Central Committee of the
      R.S.D.L.P.

Afterthe Second Congress the Mensheviks entrenched them selves in the
      League and launched their struggle against Lenin and the Bolsheviks. At
      the Second Congress of the League in October 1903, the Mensheviks libelled
      the Bolsheviks, following which Lenin and his supporters walked out. The
      Mensheviks adopted new Rules for the League that contradicted the Rules of
      the Party adopt ed at the Second Congress of the R.S.D.L.P. From that time
      onwards the League became a bulwark of Menshevism; it continued its
      existence until 1905.